Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 移 originally depicted two sheaves of grain (禾) being transferred from one place to another, representing the concept of 'moving' or 'transferring.' In ancient bronze inscriptions, it showed grain being shifted, emphasizing agricultural transplantation. By the small seal script period, the character stabilized into its modern form with 禾 (grain) and 多 (many), suggesting the movement of abundant crops. Over time, its meaning expanded from physical transfer of crops to abstract concepts of change, shift, and transformation. Arrived in Japan: The character 移 likely arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE along with the broader introduction of Chinese writing systems, possibly through Buddhist texts and diplomatic exchanges. It was incorporated into the Japanese writing system as part of the kanji imported during the Asuka and Nara periods.